Cereal-washing machine



(No Model.)

, W. A. SCOTT. OEREALVWASHING MACHINE.

Patented. Feb; 18, 1896.

WITNESSES TO-LTTHO.WASHIN GFOK.DC.

I NITED STATES NATENT OFFICE.

CEREAL-WASHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,960, dated February 18, 1896. A h ti fil d November 27,1895. Serial No. 570,309. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

"Be it known that I, WALTER A. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Du luth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cereal-Washing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in cereal cleaning or scouring machines and has particular relation to that class of machines which are employedin cleaning or washing smutty or dirty cereals.

The invention consists in the combination, with a water-tank, of an inclined washingbox proceeding from a point at or near the bottom of the tank upward out of the top thereof, a perforated or mesh -woven diaphragm constructed within the inclined washing-box and forming a false bottom in the same for the purpose of permitting the passage of Water and impurities from the cereals to the true bottom of the inclined washingbox and thence to the tank, a cereal-supply pipe entering the Washing-box at its lower end, a screw conveyer journaled within the inclined washing-box and outlet surface pipe at one end of the tank for carrying off scum and overflow, a water-jet or steam-jet pipe entering the tank at the end opposite the scum or surface overflow pipe and at or near the water-line, and a supply-pipe for supplying fresh water to the inclined washing-box at a suitable and desirable distance above the tank.

It also consists of certain other novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a central vertical longitudinal section through the same, and Fig. 3 represents an end elevation of said apparatus. Fig. i is a transverse detail section.

A in the drawings represents a water-tank of any desired material, size or shape, but preferably oblong and having a vertical wall at one end and an inclined wall at the opposite end.

a is an outlet-pipe at the straight end of the tank.

a is a surface outlet, scum, or overflow pipe at or near the inclined end of the tank and just below the water-line.

a is a supporting leg or wall for the inclined end of the tank.

a is a water-j et or steam-jet pipe entering the tank at the end farthest from the surface overflow-pipe a a a are ties across the open top of the tank.

B is a cereal-supply pipe.

0 is an inclined washing-box, the top of which is closed by removable covers 0 c.

G O are openings in each side of the washing-box C and tank for the purpose of introducing brushes for cleaning a screen-bottom C from beneath.

C is an outlet or chute for the cleansed cereals.

The diaphragm or false bottom C of screening material extends the entire width of the box 0 and from the lower end thereof to the upper end of the same, and it may have vertical side extensions, as shown.

D is a spiral or screw conveyer within the box 0.

d d d are paddles or projections cast on or affixed in any suitable manner to the shaft of the screw conveyer D and set in the direction of the lift of the conveyer, so as to assist in conveying the grain upward and agitating it in the water.

d is a cogged wheel keyed on the end of the shaft of the screw conveyer beyond the box 0.

E is a fresh-Watersupply pipe extending above the washing-box O, and a suitable distance above the tank A, for supplying fresh water to the washing-box.

The true bottom of the box 0 has an opening above the tank, so that any water or impurities falling through the screen bottom will fall directly into the tank. This construction also permits the water in the tank to freely circulate through the washing-box and the cereal being elevated in the same.

In operation fresh water is introduced from the pipe E into the washing-box 0 through an opening in one of the removable covers 0 c ICO in such volume that a portion of it will remain within the washing box above the screen 0 and flow down the said washing-box against the ascending grain. The cereals are introduced through the supply-pipe or conveyer B into the washing-box C at the lower end thereof, and are then engaged by the spiral of the screw conveyor and lifted first through the water in the tank and then through the stream of water flowing down the washingbox, and finally are carried upward to the upper end of the washing-box and thence poured into the grain outlet or chute C The paddles (Z (Z (Z, arranged along the shaft of the screw conveyer, are set in the direction of the lift of the screw and are designed to more thoroughly agitate the cereal in the water, thus effecting a more complete washing of the same.

The concave screen-bottom C of the washing-box may be made of any suitable design or material, and is preferably constructed with a surface concentric with the spiral of the conveyor. The water and impurities fallin g through the screen 0" are deposited either in the bottom of the washing-box or in the tank A, whence they are carried elf by the discharge-pipe a. The water that falls upon the bottom of the washingbox passes downward into the tank. The supply and discharge of the water are, however, so regulated as to maintain a volume of water constantly in the tank A, except when it is emptied for cleaning.

It has been found in practice that certain impurities, scum, &c., collect in large quantities on the surface of the water in the tank, and for the purpose of disposing of this scum I have provided the surface discharge-pipe a and the water-jet or steanrjet a, which jet is designed to create a current and drive the floating scum, &c., to the opposite end of the tank and off through the pipe (1 The arrangement of the f resh-water-s1'1pply pipe E, so as to discharge into the washingbox above and beyond the tank A, is deemed an important feature, since thereby the coreals that have been rinsed in the somewhat impure water of the tank are thoroughly rinsed in fresher and purer water in the last stages of the washing process in the washingbox, thus insuring ellicient cleansing of the same.

The openings (1 C are provided in each side of the washing-box O at the points indicated in the drawi n gs at other desirable and suitable points for the purpose of permitting the introduction of brushes for cleaning the screen. 0 from beneath. A cogged wheel is keyed to the upper end of the shaft of the screw conveyer beyond the upper end of the box 0 and meshes with any suitable driving-gear. It is also within the design of my invention to break the straight line of the inclined box 0 at any desirable point in the long axis of the same and to correspondingly break the straight line of the shaft of the screw conveyer therein, and to connect the ends of the divergent portions of the conveyor-shaft by a universal joint, the remainder of the structure being substantially the same.

I am aware that screw conveyors substantially the same as the one I have described have long been known and used. I therefore claim no invention in the conveyor separately, but only desire to cover it in combination with certain other elements, as described.

By means of my invention I am enabled to reclaim smutty and lower grades of wheat and other cereals and render them fit for 1nanufacture into the better grades of cereal products much more cii'ectively and much more cheaply than has ever been done before.

I also contemplate employing an auxiliary discharge-pipe for the tank, provided with a suitable slide or shut-oil? valve whereby the depth of the water in the tank can be regulated at will.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cereal-washingmachine, the combination of a water-tank, an inclined washing box with its lower end within. said tank and in. communication therewith a perforated diapl iragm within said inclined washing box and forming a false bottom for the same, a freshwater-supply pipe discharging into the said washing-box above and beyond said tank, a discharge-pipe for said tank, a surface discharge-pipe at or slightly below the water-line in said tank at one end, a water-jet or steamjet pipe at or slightly below the water-line of said tank, and at the opposite end, a screw conveyer within said washing-box, and a cerealsupply pipe discharging into the lower end of said washing-box, substantially as described.

2. In a cereal-washing machine, the combination of a water-tank having a surface discharge-opening extending across it at one end, an inclined washing-box with its lower end within said tank and provided with openings in its sides and an opening in its bottom directl y above the tank, a perforated diaphragm within said inclined washing-box and forming a false bottom for the same, a screw conveyer within said washing-box, afresh-watersupply pipe discharging into said washingbox above and beyond said tank, a dischargepipe at the bottom of said tank, a water or steam jet entering the tank at or below the water-line at the end opposite from the broad surface discharge-opening, and a cereaLsupply pipe discharging into the lower end of said washing-box, substantially as described.

3. In a cereal-cleaning apparatus, the combination with an inclined washing-box havin g a perforated false bottom, and a true bottom which is open or unclosed along a portion of its length, and is provided with side openings for the insertion of a scrubbing implement below its false bottom, of a water-tank located under the unclosed portion of the true bottom of the washing-box and also provided scum passage, of a steam-jet or water pipe 15 entering the water-tank above the submerged portion of the washing-box and' discharging steam or water along the surface of the water in the tank, and thereby forcing the scum and impurities toward and into the souIn-pas- 2o sage, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER A. SCOTT.

In presence of- JAMEs T. VVATS'ON, O. L. SHIRK. 

